Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, East Cowes
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Holy Cross is a warm, caring school where children thrive emotionally and socially. The personal development programme is exceptional, helping pupils develop leadership skills, emotional resilience and a strong moral compass. Early years teaching is particularly strong, with children getting off to an excellent start in reading, writing and mathematics through well-planned, language-rich activities.
Key Strengths
- Excellent personal development programme that builds confident, well-rounded pupils with strong leadership opportunities
- Outstanding early years provision with children making secure progress in phonics, reading and mathematics
- Strong safeguarding culture and pastoral care, with pupils feeling safe and supported
- Well-designed wider curriculum offering drama, choir, sports, arts and crafts clubs with community engagement
- Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs
Areas for Improvement
- Reading and writing outcomes at end of key stage 2 below national expectations
- Mathematics results remain below national averages, though new curriculum recently introduced
- Teaching inconsistencies over time have left some older pupils with gaps in knowledge
- Recent leadership changes mean full impact of improvements not yet visible in published outcomes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Drama club, LEGO club, magic club, arts and crafts club, choir, sports clubs, school council, sports leaders, playground pals
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School provides a caring, inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. However, reading, writing and mathematics outcomes at key stage 2 remain below national averages, though the school has recently implemented improvements to address this.
At a Glance
20.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 71% to 65%. Maths has improved from 50% to 58%. Writing has declined from 79% to 61%.
Class Sizes
21.1
Avg class size
24.8
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Ferry Terminals
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
70%
Available places
148 pupils
210 capacity
62 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - East Cowes
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for East Cowes
Admissions Demand - Isle of Wight
Places available
1,299
Applications
998
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
97.8%
Primary admissions across Isle of Wight (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2899%
Overall absence
11.80556%
Persistent absence
144
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
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